<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Love Leaves a Memory No-one Can Steal by IronMum</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29384670">Love Leaves a Memory No-one Can Steal</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/IronMum/pseuds/IronMum'>IronMum</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Bruce Banner &amp; Tony Stark Friendship, Bruce Banner Is a Good Bro, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, FebuWhump2021, Gen, Irondad, Memory Loss, Parent Tony Stark, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Precious Peter Parker, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, spiderson, who are you?</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 07:33:56</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,828</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29384670</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/IronMum/pseuds/IronMum</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Febuwhump Day 12: "Who are you?"</p><p>Peter made it to the tower in record time and dashed to the room. It was pure Parker luck that the room was empty of guests at the time he had arrived and he hadn’t passed anyone who’d recognise him. With a gentle tap, he opened the door and stuck his head around the corner. His mentor immediately made eye contact with him. The complete and utter relief Peter felt when he saw the less invasive wires gone and the colour returned to his skin was indescribable.</p><p>"I'm sorry. Who are you?" Tony asked calmly. There was a split second when Peter beamed the biggest grin thinking his mentor was joking as he closed the door behind him.</p><p>"It's… Me. I-it's me, Peter,” he greeted happily.</p><p>When the older man just looked at him confused, the smile was abruptly wiped off of the teen’s face and he found himself mustering every ounce of strength he had left to not lose his composure right there and then. </p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Bruce Banner &amp; Peter Parker, Bruce Banner &amp; Tony Stark, Pepper Potts/Tony Stark, Peter Parker &amp; Tony Stark, Tony Stark &amp; Stephen Strange</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>301</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Irondad Creators Awards 2021 - Nominations</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Love Leaves a Memory No-one Can Steal</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kevy_Grayce/gifts">Kevy_Grayce</a>.</li>



    </ul></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The room was incredibly noisy to his sensitive ears, the air hot and suffocating. Despite the temperature Peter, shivered as he took small steps into the room that was all but causing his head to spin. He'd glanced up just once but immediately turned his head back to the ground feeling every ounce of shame for doing so. Was this the level of nauseating pain that his mentor felt everytime he messed up? Not that Tony had messed up. This had been completely out of anyone’s control. </p><p>Peter couldn’t face sitting in the seat next to the hospital bed, so he opted to stand nearby. The boy had never seen his mentor so hauntingly still. There’d been the odd occasion where he'd caught him mid power nap, arms and legs sprawled out on the lab couch. Or the one too many times Peter had woken up in hospital to his mentor’s soft snoring beside him. But this. This was different. He'd catch himself looking at Tony's chest just to reassure himself that the chest was still rising and falling. When the room started to feel unbearable he placed a hand securely over his eyelids in an attempt to not break down there and then. Not that anyone would have seen it. He didn’t <em> want </em> anyone to see it. </p><p>Pepper had stepped out to grab some coffee giving Peter all the privacy that he needed. She had offered to stay with him when he entered the tower—even a couple of the Avengers had—but he had insisted he would be okay. The truth was he was far from it. He didn’t want an audience to watch as he crumbled. He didn’t want to feel like a burden when he wasn’t the only one hurting. </p><p>Breathing was becoming harder as his eyes continued to be drawn to the monitors which made them sound louder. The thumping of his heart against his chest had his mind dangerously bordering flight mode as his sensors became overwhelmed with what he was seeing and its devastating emotional input. <em> Get out. Run. </em></p><p>Peter had left the room that day far hastier than he would’ve liked to admit to anyone. He’d practically sprinted out of the building before Pepper had returned or any Avenger or doctor could catch him. The psychological repercussions and heaviness of the sensory load had just been too much to bear. He hadn’t gone home straight away through fear of judgement from May. Not that she ever would have, but that didn’t stop his brain from considering it. The more he comprehended what was happening, the more his thoughts became increasingly intrusive. They’d pushed so far the teen was convinced it would be best to just stay away. To give Tony’s closest and dearest the space and time they needed. And even though he felt he was close to Tony, his anxiety riddled mind convinced him that the feeling wasn’t likely as mutual.</p><p>So days went by. And Peter returned to school, completed his homework, patrolled, broke down in front of his aunt on numerous occasions. And yet, despite his desperate attempts to return to normality, he still felt rooted and immobilised in the medbay. No matter what part of his daily routine he was partaking in, he felt stuck. <em> In that room. </em> His mind plagued him with <em> what ifs </em>and somehow always concluded he could've done something, anything to have helped. He knew it was illogical, but it took all of his mental resources to keep the negative thoughts as minimal as possible. </p><p>And then the call from Happy came through. Peter was pretty sure his heart had skipped a beat. In a spontaneous moment of childlike excitement, he’d cut the call off upon hearing Tony was awake and made the dash over to the tower. He hadn’t felt his phone vibrate throughout the journey as all the doom and gloom that had been building up instantly ebbed away. </p><p>Peter made it to the tower in record time and dashed to the room. It was pure Parker luck that the room was empty of guests at the time he had arrived and he hadn’t passed anyone who’d recognise him. With a gentle tap, he opened the door and stuck his head around the corner. His mentor immediately made eye contact with him. The complete and utter relief Peter felt when he saw the less invasive wires gone and the colour returned to his skin was indescribable.</p><p>"I'm sorry. Who are you?" Tony asked calmly. There was a split second when Peter beamed the biggest grin thinking his mentor was joking as he closed the door behind him.</p><p>"It's… Me. I-it's me, Peter,” he greeted happily.</p><p>When the older man just looked at him confused, the smile was abruptly wiped off of the teen’s face and he found himself mustering every ounce of strength he had left to not lose his composure right there and then. </p><p>"Sorry, not ringing any bells," Tony responded with an insouciant shrug. "Maybe you got the wrong room." </p><p>
  <em> He’s not joking. He’s too stony faced to be kidding. What in the ever living fu- </em>
</p><p>"I..I'll just go," Peter managed with a harsh swallow as he left the room before Tony could respond. Once the door shut behind him he squeezed his eyes shut, pressed his head against the door, and let out a wobbly exhale. His left hand absentmindedly rubbed his aching chest. This had probably been what Happy was about to tell him before he’d put the phone down and raced to the tower. The teen had heard the man go to speak as he’d hung up but he’d just been so ecstatic. He’d seen the missed calls and texts as he’d entered the building too.  Happy had tried to pre-warn him that yes, Mr. Stark was awake. But he was not currently the Mr. Stark that Peter knew.</p><p>"Peter? Are you alright?" came the soft, gentle voice of Bruce as he approached, tablet in hand and concern etched across his features.</p><p>Peter pulled his sleeve over his hand and hastily wiped his eyes before offering an unconvincing nod. He'd wanted to run. Run like the first day he’d been here. But he could see Bruce was giving him one of those analysing looks where he would just work it anyway, so he sharply inhaled in an attempt to compose himself.</p><p>"He, er. He was awake. But, er. He doesn't know who I am… at all."</p><p>The doctor tucked his tablet into his armpit, ensuring Peter knew he had his full attention. </p><p>"Hey. Listen, kid. Memory loss after a sudden cardiac arrest is a common symptom. Sometimes it can just be a few days, sometimes longer, sometimes…never. But you have my word we will do everything we can to help him." </p><p>"Is there anything I can do to help?" The boy asked with a steadying breath as Bruce placed a hand on his shoulder. He appreciated the doctor wasn’t trying to sugarcoat anything.</p><p>"I'm happy to run through some of the recovery techniques we will be going through, but I'm going to say this now. There is no pressure on you at all. Help as little or as much as you can cope with. I don't want you to feel like you're obligated to help as all that will do is burn you out big time." With his grip on the teen's shoulder he slowly coaxed him away from Tony's door. "Now how about we get you something to eat."</p><p> </p><p>There was a never ending pit of nerves in Peter’s stomach as he stood outside the room of his mentor. At the request of Dr Banner he had spent a couple of evenings dwelling over how healthy it would be for him if he were to volunteer to help with Tony’s recovery. After vigorous discussions with May, he had decided he did want to be there. Now he was standing outside the room he had fled from twice before, tablet in hand and a name badge that referenced his name and a job title of <em> Doctor’s Assistant </em>, courtesy of Bruce and Stark Industries logo. He paused for a split second as his hand held the door handle down, door ever so slightly ajar. </p><p>"You can come in. I'm not asleep," Tony whispered gruffly as he shifted in the bed to get a better view of who was visiting.</p><p>"Sorry sir, I-I wasn't sure. I didn't want to disturb you if you were sleeping,” Peter supplied as he shuffled in fully and closed the door behind him. Tony examined the sight before him. Something about the kid was stirring a memory. A childhood memory of his own. The nervous disposition of a young boy, not quite cowering but hunched over as if awaiting the worst to happen. The avoidance of eye contact and the hesitation of words like he was afraid of messing up. The trauma he had faced at the hands of his father for countless years. There was a split second of horror at the idea that maybe the cycle wasn’t broken and Tony was exactly the same, meaning...</p><p>"Are we… Are we related? I know it's a horrible question but you know… Mind stuff." He pointed to his head trying to sound unconcerned but Peter could pick up the undertones of nervousness. </p><p>"Oh. Erm. No, Mr Stark. We aren’t related." Peter answered awkwardly, fingers intertwining with awkwardness before retrieving the tablet from between his arm and side as a distraction.</p><p>"You seem a little on edge," Tony declared, eyes glued to the teen. "And you seem a little young to be staff."</p><p>"We know each other… Through. Work," Peter provided as he finally took a seat by his mentor. "I’m an intern at Stark Industries."</p><p>"I think you might be the only intern I’ve seen who's wanted to visit me. I must be a pretty bad boss," Tony surmised with pouty frown.</p><p>"You’re the best boss actually," Peter blurted out quicker than he’d been able to stop himself. His cheeks instantly flushed and his whole face burnt with self-consciousness.</p><p>"Well. That’s good to know. I love a shining endorsement. Make sure you Google Review that."</p><p>"Will do, Mr. Stark. Now, I was wondering if you'd like to do some brain teasers with me?"</p><p>"Sure, why not. If that’s what’s going to get me outta this confined space."</p><p>Peter pulled the bed table across Tony’s lap and stuck a Stark tablet in front of him. He then pulled the seat as close to the bed as possible.</p><p>"So this is Syllable Stacks. You’re gonna listen to a bunch of syllables in a series and then repeat them in order. The easier you find it the harder we can make it. It’ll get quicker, there’ll be more to repeat, that kinda stuff."</p><p>"Sounds like a blast," Tony replied with a hint of sarcasm that had Peter grinning.</p><p> </p><p>Peter held himself stiffly, teeth clenched so tightly his jaw ached in pain. Gathering all the courage he could, his hand pushed down on the door handle ready for what was about to be thrown at him. It had been a week since he’d started helping and everyone but himself could see the toll it was taking. The teen loved the idea of helping, but walking into a room everyday with a person you looked to as a father figure and have them remember not a single ounce of you was proving harder and harder to deal with. <em> Especially when he considered what he’d already lost. </em></p><p>"Good morning, Mr. Stark," Peter forcefully chirped, a hand raised.</p><p>"You seem a little young to be a doctor," Tony responded instantly, "Though I guess the owner of this place would only ever hire the best, so that’s not a complaint, just an observation."</p><p>Peter just about kept his head up at the comment, as he offered a tight lipped smile. Tony shifted in the bed to sit himself upright, the pillow making a crinkling noise at the movement.</p><p>"I guess they do, Mr. Stark." </p><p>"Oh, looks like that person is me, Mr. Parker." Tony acknowledged when he eyed up the name badge. The faintest signs of a grin had emerged at the prospect of Tony remembering who he was, but Peter quickly realised his mentor’s eyes were on the tag from Bruce.</p><p>"It is indeed you, sir. I was wondering if you’d like me to push you around today? Get you out of the room rather than any brain teasers." He pointed at the wheelchair in the corner, pausing when he saw how offended his mentor looked.</p><p>"Absolutely not," Tony stated matter-of-factly. "Can’t we just go for a short walk? As in, both walk. My ass is unbelievably numb."</p><p>"Erm, I’m not sure about that, Mr. Stark." Peter hesitated. He could only imagine how boring it must be for his mentor now that he was alert most of the day but still confined to the bed.</p><p>"Ah come on. Where’s your sense of rebellion and adventure? If it makes you feel better you can hover right by my side, permission form signed." He ended the sentence by sticking his hand in the air and pretended to draw a tick.</p><p>"Alright, Mr Stark. But only a short walk. I don’t want to get into any trouble," Peter conceded as he pulled the bar down on the side of his mentor’s bed. </p><p>"That’s the spirit," Tony said as he pulled the sheets down revealing that he’d somehow managed to put on casual attire and slippers already. Peter simply snorted. This was obviously a clever plan from his mentor that had already started its execution. </p><p>"Okay, I am going to put one arm around your waist. The other is going to be here," he placed his arm at chest level with Tony and balled it into a fist. "You place your hand over mine and then we will get you up and about."</p><p>Tony nodded in agreement before taking position and placing his feet on the ground. He hummed at the ache, both relishing the prospect of finally having a move around and regretting the rush.</p><p>"You all good, Mr. Stark?" Peter asked as they took slow and steady steps across the room.</p><p>"Mhm. Definitely being reminded that I am getting old," Tony grumbled.</p><p>"You’re probably average age for an Avenger considering there’s a couple of hundred plus year old super soldiers," Peter offered, which had Tony instantly scoffing.</p><p>"An Avenger fan too, huh?" Tony questioned as he exhaled deeply at the halt they’d come to by the window..</p><p>"Something like that," the teen managed as he looked across the skyline. It hadn’t even struck him until that question that, not only did Tony now know who Peter Parker was. He also was unlikely to be aware of Spider-man. </p><p>"Alright, let’s say we do a couple laps of the room and then I’ll take a break and no one will need to know about this little gig." Tony suggested, pulling Peter from his thoughts.</p><p>"Sounds like a plan, Iron Man."</p><p> </p><p>"Hey, Bruce?" Tony called out. The doctor immediately turned on his heels, his breath hitched and eyes widened at Tony remembering who he was. "Can you tell me about the kid?"</p><p>"Sure, sure," Bruce replied in what felt like a blur as he took huge strides across the room. He placed the tablet he had been holding at the bottom of the bed, barely turning his head as he focused on Tony trying not to look as shell shocked as he felt. "What would you like to know?" he continued as he hastily sat in the seat behind the bed and shuffled it forward.</p><p>"How do I know him? When I saw him this morning there was just… a sense of nostalgia. And I did stop and pause and just try and think. But my brain was like, nope, nada, not today." His hands were moving as he spoke, another characteristic of Tony that seemed to be finding its way back through the fogginess he had been suffering from.</p><p>"Okay. Well. His name is Peter. Peter Parker. He’s your intern at Stark Industries and -"</p><p>"Intern?" Tony interrupted. "That feels… Uncharacteristic. But… also right." He paused again, eyes searching his sheets for answers which Bruce took as a sign to continue.</p><p>"He has enhanced abilities and engaged in vigilantism. You took him under your wing, sorted him out a suit and an AI."</p><p>"Lordy. And he’s not related to me? Not a secret life child or anything?"</p><p>"No, no. No relation as far as I am aware anyway. I feel like that’s something you would have mentioned to the team if there was <em> that </em> kind of connection. To my knowledge you went to him for help and then you’ve stuck by each other ever since -" </p><p>"I went to him for help? As in me, the adult asked a kid for help?" Tony quizzed, eyes narrowing at the idea that just seemed uncharacteristic.</p><p>"Like I said… enhanced abilities… vigilantism… Bit of a hot mess…" Bruce’s head bopped from side to side as he contemplated clarifying that both of them were in fact the hot mess.</p><p>"Oh," Tony muttered as he absorbed what he was hearing.</p><p>"I mean this in the nicest way, but I am pretty sure your anxiety riddled insomnia fuelled the building of his suit. You’ve got monitors on it, a parachute, an AI with a bunch of protocols to keep him safe. The AI can override him and call you if necessary and notify you of any injuries. You’re also informed if he is out after curfew. It is very parenta-"</p><p>"Responsible," Tony cut off. "That sounds very responsible to me which in itself does leave me feeling a little on edge. Responsibility doesn’t seem like my thing."</p><p>"He’s kinda done you a world of wonders if I’m honest. He’s got a heart of gold. Full of compassion and genuine kindness. When he said he knew me, for instance. It wasn’t because of the Hulk. It was because he’d read all of my works on gamma radiation. The little details he had remembered from it was like he had given his full attention to my works and now was giving that to me. He’s so strong willed and his levels of perseverance… don't get me started on those. He’s like a mixture of selfless and stubborn with bags of sensitivity and heaps of kindness. And the level of loyalty and dedication… He’s actually been at your side most days… Whenever he could handle it anyway."</p><p>"That seems so surreal," Tony contemplated.</p><p>"Not that I pried. But I believe F.R.I.D.A.Y. might be able to show you some footage of the pair of you in the lab which might help re-jig some memories..."</p><p>"I… Yeah, sure," Tony decided instantly, his fingers beginning to fumble with the sheet as his stress levels heightened.</p><p>"I believe you used to have a squeezy ball for when things got a bit too much for you. I’ve noticed it today. I am happy to get you one if you’d like to give it a go and see if it has the same effect."</p><p>Tony nonchalantly sniffed, fingers unfurling themselves and suddenly placed them cupped on his lap. </p><p>"Why not? So that’s a stress ball for starters and then a tablet for the main course?"</p><p>And with a nod, the doctor jumped straight into actioning the requests.</p><p> </p><p>"You seem disappointed to see me," Pepper noted, brows ever so slightly furrowed as she entered the room with Tony’s favourite smoothie and a doughnut. </p><p>"Something is missing," Tony announced. "There’s usually someone else who visits at this time. Not that I mind you coming of course."</p><p>"Peter would usually be here but he’s tied up with school work," she explained as she placed the snack and drink in front of him. She placed a tender kiss on his forehead and took a seat next to him.</p><p>"Hmm. Peter," he muttered to himself as he took a sip of the drink and hummed at how delicious it tasted. "This memory stuff is really bothersome."</p><p>"It’ll come, Tony. Try not to let it frustrate you," Pepper soothed, placing a hand on his.</p><p>"Nothing seems right. Everyone’s happy that the memories are coming back but I’m struggling to tie together the emotions that should be with certain people. And I’ve watched footage of me with the Avengers and some of us and... " He swallowed a breath as the heart monitor beeping began to increase. "Who do I trust? Who do I love? Who do I dislike? Things are beginning to feel… right with you. But there’s a whole bunch of people I am trying to connect multiple dots to and it's failing for some of them, Pep."</p><p>"We are going to get through this. You’ve made amazing progress and we can’t rush anything." She rubbed soothing circles into the top of his hand until he turned his hand over and gently stroked up and down her palm.</p><p>"Did you know they put me on medication for anxiety? I didn’t even realise that… Was that a part of me?" He’d sounded embarrassed with the admission which soon had Pepper shifting the chair so close that now she was leaning over the bedrest.</p><p>"The anxiety is a part of you, but it absolutely doesn’t define you. It didn’t before and it doesn’t now."</p><p>"What would I do without you?" he asked rhetorically, earning a genuine loving smile in return. It had almost felt like an act of mercy that a majority of his memories for Pepper had managed to rebuild. The moments they had shared together and the emotional feelings that came with them had dramatically helped in connecting the dots of his relationship with her. </p><p>"Let's go for that walk," she ushered as she pulled the sheet down. She immediately raised a brow when she realised he was already dressed for an outing. "Is this how you've been coaxing people to take you on walks?"</p><p>"Maybe," Tony replied with an exaggerated and prolonged 'e' at the end. He kicked his legs off the bed, requiring far less support than he had the time he'd convinced Peter to help him out.</p><p>"So, have you started remembering visitors if you thought Peter was going to be here?" Pepper gently queried as she linked an arm with his and started directing them to the door. </p><p>"I think so. There's… vague memories… feelings. I just don't know what's right." His grip on her arm tensed as they turned down a corridor he wasn't sure he'd ever seen before.</p><p>"Bruce mentioned you'd asked about him and had been watching videos. Do you recall anything from what you saw?" Pepper questioned, tone remaining neutral and compassionate. </p><p>"I listened to a phone call between me and him. And I don’t know why I can still remember it right now, but I told him that my dad had never given me a lot of support. And that I wanted to break the cycle of shame. It feels so wrong that I was potentially trying to navigate… parenting. And yet my brain won’t let me remember. It seems I wanted to be better than Howard but I’m now bottom of the fucking barrel." </p><p>Pepper stopped them in their tracks, rounding from Tony’s side to face him. She could see his jaw was clenched shut, lips drawn into a thin line.</p><p>"You are not and will never be like Howard. The fact that you are showing so much care and love for someone whose memories are still finding their foundations within you speaks volumes," Pepper assured as best as she could.</p><p>"What if I never remember?" Tony said out loud in complete dismay.</p><p>"Then I have no doubt you’ll build a new connection with the kid, because the only reason he isn’t here right now is because he needs to focus on school," Pepper supplied as she took a hold of his hands and gripped them tightly. Tony could see how much she loved him just by looking into her eyes. And with that love came a trust very few had been granted. That meant he had to believe he was better than his own father. Had to believe he could still break whatever cycle he had discussed before. As he contemplated a response to her, he pressed his forehead against hers and relished in the comfort it provided. </p><p> </p><p>"Did you get the wrong room? I thought these kinds of gimmicks were saved for unwell kids?" </p><p>"I see your memory is returning rather adequately," Stephen riposted with a roll of his eyes.</p><p>"Has anyone ever told you that your voice has all of the qualities of a good Professor Snape impersonator?" Tony quipped back as quick and sharply as ever, eliciting a groan from the doctor.</p><p>"I probably don’t want to be here as much as you don't want me here. But it is what it is." Stephen jabbed back as he refused to make eye contact.</p><p>"Then why are you here?" Tony quizzed, as he shifted uncomfortably at the doctor’s company.</p><p>"Your ward is doing homework, Pepper is in a meeting that absolutely couldn’t be postponed, Rhodey is out of the country, and most of the Avengers are in meetings or training," Stephen provided. Tony had been shaking his head the moment the first two words had come out.</p><p>"My what? My ward?" he uttered.</p><p>"Are you confused at the definition of ward or are you confused because Peter is something else to you?” Stephen queried as he clasped his hands together in front of him. When Tony simply squinted remaining just as confused, Stephen mumbled an <em> ah </em>under his breath. "Ah. apologies, I was unaware."</p><p>"Well. Well, can you just tell me?" Tony borderline pleaded and for a split second, Stephen’s stoic face softened.</p><p>"Peter is… Well, he’s like your sidekick. I’ve heard more from his side than your side because... Well, you know how we are with one another..."</p><p>"How do you know him then?" Tony interrupted, leaning forward from his seated position.</p><p>"We’ve stumbled across one another a few times. Occasionally we met up to discuss the Mystic Arts. Dare I admit that I can see why you picked him as your prodigy. He’s incredibly gifted and exceptionally intelligent. He’s so hardworking it almost edges on the negative side as he absolutely needs to learn some self preservation skills from somewhere. Unlike you he has the patience of a saint. A kind soul to every being around him"</p><p>"Then are you trying to steal my <em> sidekick </em>?” Tony demanded. The Cloak that Stephen was wearing glanced at him sharply at the accusation that had been thrown their way. "You’re just really gushing over him and I’m picking up jealous vibes."</p><p>"If you think this is gushing, you should perhaps hear how you have spoken about him. It might even help jog that memory of yours."</p><p>To Tony’s surprise Stephen pulled out a very unmagical-looking mobile phone. After pressing a few buttons he held it out to Tony. Warily, Tony took at it and found himself reading text message conversations whom he could only assume were between himself and the doctor.</p><p>
  <em> Tony: Peter mentioned you two bumped into each other. Hope you weren’t trying to pass him a letter to your Hogwarts Academy. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Stephen: 1. It’s the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry 2. That school is fictional and my Sanctum is not only real but far superior. 3. Is that jealousy I’m detecting? </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Tony: In case you were considering buying Peter a wand for his birthday. Don’t bother. I catch a sniff of magic on him and I will go out of my way to make him a real life lightsaber. In fact, I'm going to make him one right now anyway now. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Stephen: Ah, yes. Because a fictional energy sword used by space wizards is completely different to the concept of wands. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Tony: Wizards aren't very good at taking care of people. I saw Gandalf lose four hobbits. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Stephen: Pretty rich coming from the man who can barely look after himself. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Tony: Peter is my legacy. Not yours  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Stephen: Are you drunk texting me? </em>
</p><p>"This seems… awfully competitive," Tony deduced as he scrolled and scrolled through the banter the pair seemed to share.</p><p>"Well as you said: he is your legacy," Stephen replied with a half smile.</p><p> </p><p>The moment Peter had entered the subway, his headphones had gone straight in and he had picked the emptiest carriage to sit in. His mind had an incessant need to wonder and he honestly just wanted to focus on the music in his ears. He tried to take control of his restless legs by tapping to the beat of the song he was listening to, not always winning the battle. His fingers started drumming against the fabric of his jeans. The more upbeat the music was, the more he felt like he was forcing himself into a good mood.</p><p>The truth was, despite all his exams being complete and school being out, he felt anything but relaxed and overjoyed. He’d been plagued with an irrevocable feeling of rejection. No matter how hard he convinced himself it was illogical, a part of his brain wouldn't snap out of the idea that Tony had started remembering people close to him. And one of those people hadn’t been Peter. He’d been beyond thrilled to hear that Tony had remembered Pepper and then Rhodey. And then Bruce. And then several of the Avengers. Some he remembered completely, others in dribs and drabs. Peter swallowed thickly at the recollection of deciding he couldn’t handle anymore updates because it was not only going to destroy his grades but also his sensitive mind.</p><p>As the subway came to a halt, he hopped off the chair and waited by the door, ready to dismount. With a quick adjustment of his headphones, the final leg to the tower ended up being far brisker than intended. He’d wiped his sweating palms on his trouser legs so many times he’d lost count as he entered the tower. </p><p>"Hello, Peter. It’s nice to see you again," F.R.I.D.A.Y. chimed as he entered the elevator.</p><p>"Hey Fri. How’s it going?" he asked restlessly tapping his foot.</p><p>"Up. Up to the medbay,” she responded with a hint of sass that had him smirking. "Your heart rate is slightly elevated. Is there anything I can do for you, Peter?"</p><p>"Oh, err. No thank you. I got here pretty quick so it’s probably from that," the teen lied. And he knew she could read his lies from a mile off. His heart was painfully hammering against his chest because these days the tower simply brought an anxiety about him. And then there was the hint of guilt mixed in that he had prioritised his own work over helping Tony recover. Even if that had been the right course of action, his mind hadn’t relented from negative thoughts. The AI remained silent as the doors opened and Peter looked up to the ceiling with a smile of thanks. </p><p>The walk down the hallway was as anticlimactic as ever, despite Peter’s body reacting like he was in a horror movie. As he reached Tony’s door, he paused, almost hoping someone would see him and want to catch up first. Maybe provide him with a further update. But no one came, so he closed his eyes, exhaled deeply, and did his best to compose himself. </p><p>"Hello, Mr Parker," Tony greeted. The boy instantly stopped in his tracks, hand still on the door handle and only partially in the room. </p><p>"It’s okay. No need to be shy. How about you shut that door so the draft stops coming in. Rumour has it you’ve visited me nearly every single day, despite my memory being a bit… frazzled."</p><p>Peter wavered for a moment, remaining still as he looked at Tony the way a wild animal tended to gaze at oncoming vehicle headlights. And then, without shifting his gaze from Tony, he entered, taking careful steps towards his mentor and closing the door behind him. He’d wanted to stop the audible gulp but his mind was focused on the fact his neck and face were reddening at such an alarming rate that he was sure he looked like a tomato.</p><p>"M-Mr. Stark?" Peter muttered, voice so small and childlike.</p><p>"The one and only," Tony replied, sounding just like himself. And he looked <em> so </em> well. He was lying on the bed, but his body was above the sheet. His legs were crossed over one another with a tablet in one hand, not a single monitor or wire in sight.</p><p>Peter attempted a steadying breath but almost spluttered as he tried to contain his happiness. Tony could see his eyes filling with tears, the tight lipped smile trying to stop himself from losing it. He set the tablet to his side and opened his arms. There was an initial stumble as Peter almost tripped on his own feet, before he practically ran across the room and accepted the hug. </p><p>Arms linked around Peter’s back. Tony gave a loving squeeze before allowing his arms to loosen and just take in the feeling of, dare he admit, parental affection. He planted a kiss on Peter’s head before allowing his cheek to rest upon the soft, brown curls. Both completely absorbed in the moment. </p><p>"Love you, kiddo," he whispered as Peter gave him a careful squeeze of his own. "I don’t think I’d said it before. But it’s true. And... And it would be a complete crime if I never got to say it or you never got to hear it."</p><p>Peter pulled back just enough to be able to see his mentor. He could see the regret and shame etched into Tony’s face like it was tearing him apart from the outside in. </p><p>"I love you too," Peter managed, going to wipe a stray tear from his cheek but stopping when Tony did so for him. </p><p>"I probably won’t ever be able to say it enough. But… that was a start," Tony admitted, realising how right it felt to be acting in such a fatherly way to the kid. Peter nuzzled back into him, his head tucking under Tony’s chin and hummed in content. </p><p>"So, I’ve watched lab footage. Read messages. Listened to phone calls. May have even seen a bit of footage from this room. All multiple times. But I’d like to hear from you. About us. About you. My memory still isn't perfect, but this feels… this feels like the right moment."</p><p>And Peter was all too happy to oblige as they settled on the bed together, the boy tucked into his mentor’s side. He rambled for hours and hours as the pair reminisced and relived memories old and new.</p>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>